Babe Ruth, the legendary home-run hitter, would occasionally point his bat at the spot where he planned to hit the next pitch. Similarly, Jamie McCourt predicted where she would be now over forty years ago.

At the age of nine, she informed her parents that one day she would buy a baseball team. That little girl’s dream became reality, when she and her husband purchased the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2004.

Today, Jamie is the Vice Chairman and President of the organization. She serves on numerous Boards in the Los Angeles area. She is the highest ranking female in baseball, and considered one of the most powerful women in all of sports.

Play ball Even as a young girl, Jamie was competitive. She was a gifted athlete, who could show the boys a thing or two. The tomboy developed confidence in herself from these early experiences. Confidence in her ability to do anything she wanted to do – regardless of her sex.

Player – coach Her father owned a chain of appliance stores. He was an off-the-wall promotional hypester. So retail is in her blood. She learned from her father and has taken his lessons to a new level. When it comes to hawking your goods, there are few venues as large as your own ball park.

Warning trackJamie’s educational credentials are top-notch. A Bachelor’s degree from Georgetown. A diploma from La Sorbonne at the University of Paris. A University of Maryland law degree, and a Master’s from the MIT Sloan School of Management, which she completed at the ripe young age of 39.

While there, she couldn’t find a single professor to sponsor her proposed thesis. She wanted to research the economics of buying a baseball team or building a ball park. They warned her that she would be better served by focusing on Wall Street.

But the little girl, who by now was a woman, was not discouraged. She was about to step up to the plate.

Striking Out Jamie started her career in 1979 as an attorney in New York City. She moved to Boston and opened her own practice. In 1994, she became the Vice President and General Counsel at The McCourt Company, a real estate development firm started by her husband.

Seven years later, Jamie’s opportunity presented itself. She and her husband tried to buy the Boston Red Sox in 2001. But it was not meant to be – she struck out.

Grand Slam The greatest players never give up. Jamie is a great player. She and her husband learned the Dodgers were for sale. They purchased the Dodgers at the highest price ever paid for a professional ball team.

The little girl had a dream. As a woman, she had stepped up to the plate and struck out. Then she tried again … and hit a grand slam.